One More Day to Say I love you
by samanddianefan10
Summary: For Jessie33. Post I'll be seeing you. AU. Sam doesn't want to see Diane ever again, but a phone call from her mother's lawyer brings them back together in a way he wished never would have happened.


**A/N: sorry about my absence, morning sickness has been very rough. But on that note...we're having a boy and his name will be...(of course)...Sam! Can you think of a better name? I couldn't! enj**oy

It had been three weeks since their fateful breakup, and Sam had been drinking. A lot. He'd worked hard on getting sober after his ill-fated baseball career fell apart, and maintaining sobriety while owning a bar was a source of pride for him. So to get him to fall off the wagon after day after day after day of temptation- well, she must have been a hell of a woman.

Today he'd been planning on drinking. He'd taken his latest fling to the bar to show her off, when Coach announced that a lawyer had been trying to get a hold of Sam. So Sam took the call, and somehow, after talking to that lawyer, neither women nor booze were exactly appealing to him.

He made an excuse and dropped his date off at her place, then drove around Boston for awhile. He hadn't wanted to see Diane, certainly not this soon after their breakup, but there was no way around this.

Diane's mother had passed away, and it was up to Sam to break the news to her. How he would find the words, he had no idea. Yes, he was so mad and hurt by Diane's actions but in his heart he wouldn't wish this kind of pain on anyone, even Diane. He remembered how upset Diane had been over losing her cat- this would crush her.

So Sam pulled up to Diane's apartment, where he wasn't sure what he'd find. Booze? Papers, torn up love letters?

So he took a breath and made his way to her tidy apartment. Yes, he was most definitely dreading this moment.

It took him forever to ring the bell, and even longer for her to answer. She looked- well, there was no other way of putting it- she looked a mess. There was no doubt by her roots that she hadn't been born blonde as she had always claimed. There were bags underneath her once perfectly mascared eyes. She'd been crying. God this was awful; he didn't know if he could make her cry yet again.

"Sam? What do you want..." she asked without a trace of emotion.

He wanted to cry, and he hated himself for it. "Diane...we need to talk."

"We've said everything we needed to each other, haven't we?"

"Diane...trust me, this is no picnic for me. But this isn't about me. It's not even about us. I would think you'd want to have this talk where we can have some privacy. May I come in?"

She sighed and reluctantly let him in. She had let the place go- it wasn't a disaster, but there were stuffed animals everywhere, apparently her source of comfort while his had been booze.

"Diane..."

"Sam...if you've come to flaunt your little flings or to tell me how much better without me you are..."

Sam put his hands on her arms. "Sweetheart, it's not that. Trust me, I'd rather it was."

She looked at him.

"Diane...maybe you want to sit down."

"No!" she exclaimed defiantly. "Whatever it is, you'd best tell me right here, right now."

He grabbed a stuffed bear. "Maybe you should hold on to this."

She took him, then sighed impatiently.

"Diane...there's no easy way for me to tell you this. I went in to Cheers today...some lawyer has been trying to get a hold of you. He said he couldn't' find you."

"I've been...unavailable."

"Sweetheart, it doesn't matter to me where you've been. The lawyer...you sure you don't want to sit down?"

"Sam!"

"Okay, okay. Diane...your mother..."

"What's she done this time? To gloat about my obviously impaired taste in men? To gloat about some new source of income? What's the old bat done this time?" she smiled briefly.

"Diane...your mother...your mother passed away. I'm so sorry to tell you this."

She stared at him, then slapped him across the face. "How dare you? I know you're angry with me, but to try to pull a stunt like this...it's a new low, even for you. Get out. Get out. I never want to see you again!" Diane opened the door to her apartment.

"Diane...here's the number to the guy...to the lawyer. I get that you don't believe me. But here. I tried..."

"Give me that!" Diane grabbed the number and saw the name. "This is my mom's attorney. How did you get this number?"

"I told you...he called, looking for you. He told me not to tell you but then I decided you shouldn't hear that kind of news from a stranger. Diane...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

So as never before, the tears started falling down her face as the realization that Sam wasn't joking hit her. Her mommy was gone. What was she to do now?

So Sam wrapped his arms around her; despite their bitter breakup, he knew he couldn't just leave her like this.

"It's going to be okay, Diane. You'll get through this. You're strong. You're smart. You..."

"Sam, you don't know where I've been do you?"

"No...why?"

"It doesn't matter," Diane sighed. "It doesn't matter now. Nothing does. Did it ever?"

"Diane...you want me to pour you a drink?"

She wiped her face. "It's in the kitchen. You remember..."

He nodded. "I'll be right back. And Diane...you're not alone. I'll be here for you as long as you want me to."

Their eyes met, then he quickly made his way to her kitchen, leaving a very hurt and confused Diane alone with her thoughts.

tbc


End file.
